New Art Archives

14Jun 2020 by Leisa

Celebrating Summer and Getting Out and About

New Art, News

Every-day scenes with House Portrait Backdrops. Well done for making it this far and I hope you are doing well. After months of being bombarded with the dangers of the pandemic and the need to stay at home and stay safe, things are freeing up at last -- a welcome relief with the beckoning warmer weather and longer summer days. These paintings are a celebration of getting out and about. They include simple, enjoyable, every-day activities, that we should never take for granted. From kids playing in the streets, to walking the dog and an inquisitive boy checking out a free little library. All have architectural backdrops that represent life and people in the city -- weather in urban areas or quiet suburbs. [caption id="attachment_17352" align="aligncenter" width="2048"] Kids playing…

10Dec 2019 by Leisa

News Flash! My Brand New Online Art Store!

New Art, News

Announcing my new LEISA COLLINS ONLINE ART STORE STORE OPENING SPECIAL: 25% off all items for a limited time with coupon code LCA25OFF I am very excited to "unveil" to you my new online store that includes over a hundred pieces of my art, most of which have never been viewed before. A number of the pieces available in the store are original works and ALL those on display are also available as prints in various sizes. As you know, architectural art is my artistic passion, so not surprisingly this is the theme of the majority of the work. So please dive in and take a look at my art store and I would love to hear your feedback. Let me know what work you liked best, as well as what you think…

06Mar 2019 by Leisa

New work! Architectural Collage Art

House Portraits, New Art

My new series featuring Victorian paintings, English Tudor art and Craftsman style art. Over the years I have created hundreds of portraits of homes and historic buildings, so you can imagine that I have lots of favorites and in many different architectural styles, But three styles really stand out. They are each very distinctive and have stood the test of time. They are the Victorian style, Tudor style and Craftsman style. I decided to select some all time favorites within these styles and share their beauty but in a different way. I mixed these architectural art forms with other very different art forms, namely some of my favorite fabric patterns and items that I have collected over time. Many can be found in my home. Some are from overseas travels,…

15Feb 2017 by Leisa

Introducing the first of my new architectural art series…

New Art

... Architectural Fusion! Since I was a child, I have always been intrigued by the fusion of old and new buildings, how they intermingle into the now, occupying the same space and time. Within their walls, their structures tell the story of the struggles and triumphs of humankind, often spanning hundreds and sometimes thousands of years. I am proud to announce that I have now completed the first three pieces in this series and I am in the process of creating more. The medium is my signature pen and watercolor on a heavy watercolor paper. All depict cities that I love and where I have have spent time. In addition to viewing the final paintings, I thought you might like a glimpse of the creative process that has gone into them.…

01Jul 2014 by Leisa

New Architectural Paintings – Places I love

New Art, Uncategorized

Two of my Favorite Architectural Icons It is no secret that I love painting architecture. Being that I receive new requests every week to paint homes and historic buildings around the country, I am always so busy focusing on getting these done. I felt it was time to put everything else aside and tackle some much bigger architectural subjects. It was fun doing these canvases in acrylic, which is my medium of choice when creating larger landscape paintings. We see so many renderings of these famous icons, so I tried to create more "moody" and "reflective" renditions. When I saw each of them in person some years ago in France and later in India they left a lasting impression and I vowed that I would capture them on my canvas…

16Jun 2014 by Leisa

Arts and Crafts Watercolor Paintings

New Art

Historic Arts and Crafts Buildings in the USA Three of the "founding fathers" of the Arts and Crafts movement in America, whose impact is still widely felt today are the Greene and Green Brothers in California, Elbert Hubbard and Gustav Stickley. Over the last year or so my husband and I have visited three famous historic locations and here are my first paintings depicting them! Anyone who lives in the Pasadena area will recognize this famous structure, the Gamble House, which was a closely supervised project of the architect brothers, Charles and Henry Greene. [caption id="attachment_3807" align="aligncenter" width="559"] The Gamble House, Pasadena, CA[/caption] Elbert Hubbard's Roycroft Campus in East Aurora, New York [caption id="attachment_3804" align="aligncenter" width="528"] Roycroft Campus in East Aurora, New York[/caption] The home of Gustav Stickley in New…

26Mar 2014 by Leisa

South Pasadena Historic Street Scenes

New Art

South Pasadena Historic District - Capturing the Magic in Pen and Watercolor! I love living and having my studio in South Pasadena! It's got that wonderful small town charm while being right in the heart of Greater Los Angeles. South Pasadena was incorporated as it's own city in 1888. With it boutique stores and interesting restaurants and cafes, the historic district of South Pasadena is a big draw for visitors and locals alike. I have tried to capture that special So Pas feel in this series of paintings. (For those interested in history, below the paintings is a write up about this, mainly taken from the South Pasadena City website.) [caption id="attachment_3789" align="aligncenter" width="626"] The famous Buster's Cafe on Mission Street, South Pasadena[/caption] [caption id="attachment_3793" align="aligncenter" width="645"] South Pasadena Library…

05Feb 2014 by Leisa

Watercolors of Historic Buildings, Landscapes and More

New Art

Art Show at Kaldi's Cafe, South Pasadena This is where it is happening, this Sunday, February 9, between 1 - 4pm. Kaldi's Cafe is right in the heart of the historic district of South Pasadena. The building that is now home to Kaldi's was one of the earliest banks in the area. [caption id="attachment_3717" align="aligncenter" width="715"] "Kaldi Cafe Corner", one of my new South Pasadena paintings[/caption] I will have originals of my South Pasadena series and high quality (Giclee) prints on display as well as some other work. Feel free to stop by for coffee and enjoy that special Kaldi ambiance. Plus it will be great to see you! Cheers, Leisa

30Dec 2013 by Leisa

Commissioned Landscape Painting

New Art

Landscape Painting of South Pasadena Scene I was recently commissioned to paint this scene from an amazing photo that a client of mine took looking up Fair Oaks Avenue in South Pasadena. You can see the intersection of Rollin Street and Fair Oaks Avenue in the foreground. This photo was taken a couple of years ago after a cold snap which whitened the San Gabriel Mountains that loom up in the distance. The painting was a lot of fun. It is a large one - 30 x 40 inches - that now hangs in a beautiful enclosed patio in South Pasadena. It was a nice change creating a big acrylic painting and I intend to do more. As much as I love doing architectural paintings and capturing homes in pen…

16Sep 2013 by Leisa

Historic Buildings of South Pasadena, CA

New Art

Historic Preservation Lives on Main Street, S0uth Pasadena The thing I love about South Pasadena is that it has always maintained a Small Town Atmosphere. By Southern California standards, South Pasadena’s 2010 estimated population of 24,904 qualifies it as a small town. The city’s boundaries have changed very little since its incorporation and today it encompasses approximately 3.4 square miles. The Mission and Meridian Street crossing -- which can be seen in my painting below, is where the Gold Line metro station pass through. With its historically preserved old buildings it is truly a town where the old fashioned Main street still exists. Please enjoy the first two paintings in my Historic South Pasadena Street Scene series! [caption id="attachment_3643" align="aligncenter" width="650"] Historic Mission and Meridian Street Intersection, South Pasadena[/caption] Another…